Action for grand pianos



F. [.(GEORGE.

ACTION FOR GRAND PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9, 1919.

PatentedSept. 21, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I N VEN TOR.

FRANKL.5EOR6 i J W ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES FRANK L. GEORGE, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ACTION FOR GRAND PIANOS.

Application filed. September T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatl, FRANKL. GEORGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Actions for Grand Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to actions for grand pianos and consists of the novel features herein shown, described and claimed. a

In the year 1821 Sebastian Erard invented what has since been known as the double escapement repetition grand action and for the ninety-eight years since this action has remained the prototype of all grand actions; in fact the only improvements on it have consisted merely ofsome minor detail, the original principle being universally in use today. The old action is extremely complicated and necessarily very expensive to make.

It is an object of my invention to make a distinctly new action andin carrying" out this object I have discarded entirely the old repetition lever with all of its complicated and expensive equipment, I have succeeded in making one spring with its sur roundings accomplish much superior results, and I have greatly simplified and cheapened the action.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of an action for grand pianos embodying the principles of my invention, parts being broken away and shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a view analogous to Fig. 1 with numerous parts omitted and showing the movements of the parts.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the jack with parts removed from the jack, the view being taken looking in the direction indicated by the arrow 3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4c is an enlarged fragmentary sectional elevation of the jack and the compound double adjustable compensating sprin Referring to the drawings in detail, the piano key 1 is mounted upon the key balance rail 2 in the usual way. The capstan screw 3 is mounted in the key 1 and has a head l provided with pinholes 5 for manipulating the screw. The bottom cloth G'rests upon the head 4 of the capstan screw 3.

V Th support rail 7 has a support flange 8 extending upwardly from its rear side and Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 21, 1920.

9, 1919. Serial No. 322,731.

The forward end of the wippen 9 is bifurcated and the jack 11 has a bearing portion 12 fitting in the bifurcation. The portion 13 of the ack extends downwardly be low the bearingportion 12, and a screwthreaded hole 1% is formed through the lower end of the portion 13. The jack heel 15 extends forwardly from the central portion of the front face of the portion 13 nearly at right angles to the body of the jack. The body 16 of the jack 11 extends upwaruly from the bearing portion 12, and an elongated opening 17 is formed through the lower end of the body. A tapped screw hole 18 is formed through the extreme lower end of the body 16 below the opening 17. A tapped screw hole 19 is formed near the upper end of the body 16, and a fork 20 extends upwardly from the upper end of the body 16 and has fiat upper faces 21 and 22 and a central slot 23 extending downwardly from th upper faces.

The spoon 2% extends upwardly from the wippen 9 to a point half way between the pivot pin and the fork 20. The jack regulating screw '25 is mounted through the screw hole 19 and engages the spoon 24;. A second spoon 26 extends downwardly from the wippen 9, and a second jack regulating screw 27 is mounted through the screw hole 14.- in position to engage the spoon at.

The regulating rail 28 has a regulating rail screw, button and stop 29 in position to engage the jack heel 15. The second regulating screw 27 mounted through the extension 13 prevents the jack 11 from moving too far forwardly at the top end when the jack heel 15 contacts with the regulating rail screw 29 and this regulating screw 27 also serves to prevent blocking of the hammer against the wire. This double stop regulating screw system including the screws 27 and 29 is of great importance. At the instant these two different contacts occur all movement of the different parts is effectually stopped.

The compound double adjustable compensating spring 30 is secured to the jack 11, and the details are as follows: 7

The spring 30 ismade of hard suitable springwire and comprises a central portion 31, double turn coils 32 and 33 at the ends of the central portion 3 1, arms 34 and 35 extending from the coils 32 and 33, a prong 36 extending from the arm 34, a double turn,

coil 37 extending from the arms 35, the

arm 38 extending from the coil 37, and the eye 39 at the end of the arm 38. The double turn coil 37 is placed in the elongated slot 17 and a pin 40 is inserted through the jack 11 and through the coil 37. A screw 41 is inserted through the eye 39 and screwed into the opening 18.

The regulating rail screw 29 is secured to.

a bracket 42 and the bracket 42 is secured to the hammer flange rail 43. The hammer shank flange 44 is secured to the hammer flange rail 43, the hammer shank 45 is secured to the hammer shank flange 44, and the hammer butt 46 fits against the lower face of the hammer shank 45. The upper end of the jack 11 swingsinto and out of engagement with the'hammer butt 46. A transverse slot 47 is formed across the lower face of the hammer butt 46 and'the upper end of the arm 34 operates in this slot. An

adjusting screw 48 is screw-seated clownwardly through the hammer shank 45and extends into a bore 49in the hammer butt 46. A conical opening 50 is formed in the lower end of the adjusting screw' 48 and the prong 36 fits in this opening 50. The

parts 31 to 50 constitute the compound do'uble adjustable compensating spring 30.

The spring is adjustable by manipulating the adjusting screw 48 and by manipulating the screw 41. The mounting of the jack '11 to be regulated by the screws 27 and 29 38 and screw41 tapped into the extension 51 take the place of the ordinary jack spring. v V i Especial attention is called to the point 53 upon the prong 36 seated in the point of the cone-shaped opening 50 where it is eii'ectually held centered and at the same time is free to assume the desired angles relative to the adjusting screw 48. r The point contact eleminates friction and makes a constant pressure and prevents rattling. A slight turn of the regulating screw 48 up or down will develop instantly a change, of tension on the sprin'g'30j-as a whole;

:When the key 1 is struck the wippen 9 moves upwardly thereby moving the'jack 11 against the hammer butt 46 and throwing the hammer shank 45 upwardly untilfthe jack heel 15 strikes the regulating rail screw 29, then the upper end of the jack moves torwardly out of engagement with the hammer butt 46 and passes upwardly with the prong'34 in the slot 23 and this movement places the spring 30 under increased tension, and the hammerv shank 45 rebounds or falls downwardly against the tension of the spring 30 and at this instant the hammer head 54 strikes the back check 55'and comes to rest before the keyl is released by the operator, and as shown in dotted'lines in Fig. 2. The back check firmly holds the hammer at this-instant,

then upon a slight release of the key l the' tension ofthespring 3O will carry the hammer upwardly to its normal position and the tension of the spring 30 'will return-the,

jack 11" to its normal position under the hammer butt 46 and the entire action 1s ready for a very close repetition stroke.'-

Under the most critical and severe test this action has been found to be never failmg in lts repetition nor can it be made to cheatunder a very close touch. One of the great advantages of this construction is due to the continuous influence of the spring 30 at all times and in all positions upon its bearingsand upon all parts affected by the bearings.

The coil 37 has'a felt bushing 56 around the pivot 40 and the arm 38 is drawn down for the insertion of the adjusting screw 41 so as to firmly grip the bushing and make a tight bearing. j 7

Thus I have produced an action for grand pianos comprising a wippen pivotally mounted at one end and" adapted tobe operated by a piano'key, a jack-pivotally connected to the free end of'the wippen, op-

posed adjusting screws adaptedto stop the vibration of the jack on its up stroke, and a compound double adjustable compensating spring connected to the jack and to the hamupon all the part-sat all times. I

The support rail 7 and the hammer flange mer shank and exerting continuous pressure rail 43. are rigidly mounted in the action bracket57n The details of the action bracket 57 are shown, described and claimed in" a as claimed.

the spirit'of' my invention I claim:

1. In an action for grand pianos, a Wippen pivotally mounted at one end and adapted to be operated by a piano key, a jack pivotally connected to the free end of the wippen and having an extension below its pivotal point, a heel on said extension, adjusting means mounted on the piano for engaging said heel, a stop on said wippen, adjusting means on said extension for engaging said stop, both adjusting means being adapted respectively to engage said heel and said stop to stop the vibration of the jack upon its upstroke, a hammer, and an adjustable compensating spring connected to the jack and to the shank of the hammer to exert pressure upon all the parts coming under its influence at all times.

2. In an action for grand pianos, a wippen operatively mounted, a jack pivotally connected to one end of the wippen and having an extension below the pivot, a spoon extending from the wippen, an adjusting screw mounted through the extension in position to engage the spoon, a heel extending from the extension in the opposite direction from the spoon, and a second adjusting screw in position to engage the heel, so that when the piano key is struck to elevate the jack the extension adjusting screw will engage the spoon and the heel will engage he second adjusting screw.

3. In an action for grand pianos, a jack, a hammer shank, a hammer butt upon the hammer shank in position to be engaged by 'the jack, an adjusting screw extending through. the hammer shank into the hammer butt and having a conical recess in its lower end, and a compound double adjustable compensating spring comprising a wire bent to form a central portion, coils at the ends or" the central portion, arms extending from the coils, a prong extending from the upper arm and having a point fitting in the conical recess, a double turn coil extending from the lower arm, a third arm extending from the double turn coil and having an eye, and an adjusting screw inserted through the eye and tapped into the jack, there being a pin through the jack and through the.

double turn coil.

4. In an action for grand pianos, a jack having a slot adjacent to its lower end, a pin in the lower end of said jack extending through said slot, a shoulder on the jack for ward of and adjacent to the slot, a spring having an eye at one end, a coil adjacent to the eye mounted within the slot upon said pin and having a curved member extending upwardly from the coil and terminating in a point, and an adjusting screw extending through said eye into said shoulder.

5. In an action for grand pianos, a jack having a slot adjacent to its lower end, a pin in the lower end of said jack extending through said slot, a shoulder on the jack forward of and adjacent to the slot, a spring having an eye at one end, a coil adjacent to the eye mounted within the slot upon said pin and having a curved member extending upwardly from the coil and terminating in a point, an adjusting screw extending through said eye into said shoulder, and a hammer having a properly formed butt member operatively disposed relative to the jack, there being a seat formed in the butt member engaged by the point of the spring.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FRANK L. GEORGE. 

